


Humanity is just a Work in Progress, so Let's Progress Together

by Numinous_Lost



Series: A reverse AU that just won't quit [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Android Hank Anderson, Depression, Execution, Human Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Murder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Retelling, Suicide, reverse au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-13 20:17:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17494622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Numinous_Lost/pseuds/Numinous_Lost
Summary: Connor Stern was an amazing lieutenant... With a slight death wish. Partner after partner couldn't stop him, so maybe someone less than human would be able to help him realize that life might be worth living.A side story to To Err is to Human, but you aren't Human Anyways, but can absolutely be read as a stand alone as well!





	1. The First Contact is Always Awkward

**Author's Note:**

> As you can tell, this is pretty rough at some points. So please, if you can't handle it, please take care of yourself! Each of the tags lives up to itself, and I only want the best for you folks!

Connor Stern had an issue with partners. Not romantically, that was an entirely different story. No, he had an issue with retaining partners at work. Some claimed that he was too friendly, that he attracted a lot of trouble due to his personality. Conan even said that he was foolish for rushing into so many scenarios, but even outside the social protocol that dictated they couldn’t work together, Conan would never had volunteered for the position.

Which was a shame, Connor would have  _ loved _ to have been paired up with Conan. After becoming a lieutenant at 27, he had spent the next seven years trying to get his brother to do the same, if not beat him in attaining the rank. Even if it was finally passed that point, Connor never gave up trying to propel his brother forward. In all actuality, Connor had almost pushed his brother enough to get him to quit the force.

All of this added up to the desk across from him being left nice and lonely. People came and went, transferring out of the department just as quickly as they came. No one wanted to take care of what seemed to be a self destructive human, who never had any issues rushing into the scenario head on.

It was surprising to see a head popping over the top of the chair as he walked in that morning, coffee in hand. He might have been a few minutes late because of it, but he was  _ positive _ he couldn’t have been that late. Why hadn’t someone told him that they had hired a new detective?

“Stern!” A voice shouted, both brothers turning to look in the direction of the voice. “Lieutenant Stern.” the captain quickly amended, as Conan moved to go get settled in his own seat, a particularly pissy partner of his own watching him. Connor didn’t like her, every time they were even a minute late ( _ Damn that coffee addiction!)  _ she seemed to throw a hissy fit. Connor ducked into the office before that could get started.

Closing the door behind him, he glanced back over at the gentleman that was still sitting there, typing away as if nothing else had changed. It was rude not to introduce yourself, wasn’t it?

“You noticed it then?”  
“It is a very rude way to talk about a person, sir.”  
“Well, it isn’t a person, so there’s no issue, now is there?”

Connor hesitated for a moment, something clicking a few seconds later. “Wait, is that an android?!” He asked, his hands slamming down on the desk as he tried to get another look. Connor didn’t hate androids, per say, but he had never thought about working with one. Other than the beat cops, of course. And they were super nice and everything, but Connor liked people with  _ personalities. _

“Newest model, a prototype sent by Cyberlife to help us with the so called deviant issue.” Fowler nodded, looking out at the android once again.

Honestly, Connor felt a bit crushed. Had they run out of people willing to work with him?  _ An android? Really? _ Well, at least he wouldn’t have another human’s blood on his hands. Raising a hand up, soft fingers rubbed lightly against the back of his neck as he thought over what was happening.

“It’s only until we figure out what’s going on with the deviants. So just…. Work with it--him until we send him back.” The captain was trying, before the sound of a scuffle started to break through it. Glancing over his shoulder, Connor watched as Conan’s partner overturned the luckily cooled coffee onto his head, before storming out.

“Jesus  _ fucking _ Christ. Out, Connor. Go clean up your damn brother.”

                                                                                                -------

By the time he made it back over to the desk, it was far later than he normally would have liked to start his day. And he couldn’t even start it still. Shifting foot to foot, he finally just decided to  _ talk _ to the android, to try and get a feel for him. 

“Hello, RK800! I feel like introductions might be in order!” The overly cheerful lieutenant said, sitting on the edge of the desk and leaning back slightly.

“There’s really no need for that.” The android responded, pulling his hand back from the computer to turn towards his partner. “You’re Connor Stern, Lieutenant with the Detroit Police Department. My current partner, until we can figure out why so many deviancy cases are coming through. From the disorganized state of your desk, I know that your life revolves around your work, you have a caffeine addiction, and a dog.” He stated it so simply, leaving Connor in a mild state of shock. Apparently the android was going to be a walking call out post for him. ‘Where as I am Hank, the android sent by Cyberlife. If you don’t mind, I would like to continue going through the cases.”

Connor sat there for a minute, a bit dumbfounded. Sliding off the desk, he tried his best to shake it off. He really tried his best.  But something about that had really thrown him off kilter. Maybe he could convince Conan to go for a drink after work, and his brother could help him process this.

                                                                                               -------

It wasn’t until the ‘Rupert Incident’ that Connor had started to realize that Hank had even taken a remote interest in his life. Everything about staying on the mission would have led Hank to keep chasing after the rogue android, but he stopped everything to help the lieutenant up and back onto the rooftop instead.  It had been Connor’s fault in the first place, keeping up with them until Rupert had gotten the jump on the human and taking advantage of the lieutenant’s momentum to shove him right over the edge of the building. 

And people wondered why he wasn’t so fond of androids at times. This is not the first time one had tried to take his life, but it was one of the first time that one had tried to save it. Absolutely overwhelmed with emotion, Connor had wrapped two shaking arms around the larger android and just stood there. It took him awhile to do so, but eventually Hank responded in kind, almost seeming awkward at the lieutenant’s sudden burst of emotion. They broke apart after just a few minutes, Connor wiping at his eyes as he looked up to the machine before him. No, Hank was too human to be a machine at this point.

“Connor, we should head back to the precinct, I want to get this report in before you leave.”  
“Yeah, yeah. Okay. Spoilsport.”

                                                                                                -------

The next incident happened right in his own home. A modest home, a present from his mother on the outskirts of downtown. A home that trapped him in his own memories sometimes, thoughts of his actual parents occasionally weighing too heavily on his mind. It was those thoughts that would cause him to drink. A lot. The sort of drinking that would normally do some serious damage to someone who hadn’t been doing it for years. 

Therapists had done nothing, knives had only alleviated the pain a bit. But wine? Wine was always there for him. Wine and Sumo, the lovable dog that curled up beside him every night. The two things took the sting of remembering his father’s face, standing over his mother with nothing but unbridled rage. Wine took the look of his mother away, as she silently cried her last tears onto the floor. Those beautiful brown eyes that shone so brightly, taught him to love no matter what happened. That smile that was stolen from him, whispering the soft remains of the statement “I love you.” as she stared into the closet, at her eldest son.

Connor cried with her, making sure to cover Conan’s mouth to keep him from crying. He had been 8 at the time, more than old enough to remember everything. Conan had been spared most of it, though he had definitely started crying when that final gunshot had gone off, severing both of them from their parents forever.  

It was thanks to the kind police officer that had found him in that closet that had pushed him into law enforcement. It was thanks to his mother that Connor smiled, no matter how he was feeling on the inside. And it was thanks to Hank that he didn’t end up dying on his floor that night. He had every intention to, but then again, Connor always had every intention to die. There was a reason he acted so brazenly, rushing into a situation long before help had arrived. In his mind, if he were the one to die… Well, there weren’t too many people left to mourn him. Conan was strong, he would survive… Take care of Sumo.

His last thoughts had been on his brother as he fell unconscious, his first thoughts were on the face full of water that hit him and a set of strong hands that were holding him down in that bathtub. Worried blue eyes and a yellow flickering LED told him a lot more than anything else. It wasn’t Conan, who would have been his first guess. “Hank?” He managed to sputter out, attempting to rub water from his eyes.

“Just how bad  _ is _ your death wish, Connor?” He demanded, making the lieutenant wince slightly.

“Lower your voice please.”  
“I will not. You need to get your fucking life straightened out!”  
“It’s like you care.”  
“I  _ do _ care. Even if you don’t want to see it, you obstinate son of a bitch!”

Connor winced again, holding his head lightly as he finally pushed himself up. “Okay, okay, you might care. But why are you here?”

“A case came in just under an hour ago, and my lush of a partner was too busy almost dying to notice. Perhaps he would like to clean up his act so he can stay on the force and not miss out on these opportunities?” The android asked. Connor could hear the eye roll that Hank was trying to hide.

“Don’t lecture someone you know nothing about.”  
“I know more than you think.”  
“You know reports, not emotions.”  
“ _ I know more than you think, Connor. _ ”  
“ **L** **i** **sten** ! Just… Go get me some clean clothes and.. Let me clean myself up, all right? I need a moment.”

The android shrugged as he turned around, leaving Connor by himself. His eyes fluttered up to the mirror, dotted with small notes he had written in lipstick around the edges.  _ Don't give up! Start the day with a smile! Leave your emotions at the door! Feelings are not fact! _

He erased most of them, leaving the feelings and the don’t give up on there. Pulling out the lipstick once again, he replaced the other two before brushing his teeth.

_ Don’t forget that he cares.  _ It was small, and something that really did make him feel better. He opened the door and joined the android in the bedroom after, not noticing the way that the android quickly turned around. Holding out the clothes, Connor shooed him out to finally change.

                                                                                               -------

Hank drove them in, looking absolutely ridiculous as he drove the Prius. Connor could have gotten one of the automated cars, it would have meant quite a lot more time to finish work, but he would miss the ability to just get behind the wheel and drive and seeing where roads would take him. Sometimes he needed that feeling of freedom.

Conan was inside the room, his partner giving the two a disgusting smirk. “About time you joined us, lieutenant. Little too busy getting it on with you--”

The detective slapped a hand over his partner’s mouth, turning to look at his brother. “I heard that you and the plastic ass-- You and RK800 were taking over cases involving androids, but there’s not much of a mystery here. Gentleman got too into it, busted the android, and gave himself a heart attack. Unfortunate, but I don’t think it’s a deviant case.”

“Wrong.” Hank muttered, looking over the scene. Conan’s brow furrowed, turning towards the android. Connor reached up, slapping the android hard enough to wince just slightly.

“Hank! Don’t be an ass.” The lieutenant muttered, looking over at Conan for a minute as the detective’s partner cracked up behind him.

Conan pulled Connor in, just for a moment. Despite the cologne and toothpaste, the scent was still there.

“Hank drove in, yes?”  
“Yes.”  
“Connor, we’ve talked about this. You have to take care of yourself.”  
“Says the habitual smoker.”  
“I’m not the one drinking myself to death though.”  
“Neither is a healthy coping mechanism.”  
“But mine won’t get me fired. Please, just take care of yourself, Connor.”

“Well, since I’m  _ wrong _ , I suppose I will take my leave. Come on, Bailey, we’re not needed here.” Conan said, grabbing onto his partner’s arm to lead her out.

“Wait, no, I need to hear more about how wrong you are, because this is fucking precious.” She said, as he pulled her from the room.

“She’s charming.” Hank muttered, glancing over his shoulder as the door closed once again. He was already kneeling down to examine the android before him.

“I hate her.” Connor muttered, his arms crossed over his chest as they stood there. “Now how about you explain to me what really happened here?”

“With pleasure.”

                                                                                                -------

Connor found it impressive when Hank didn’t shoot the Tracis as they escaped over the fence.  A small smile flitted over the lieutenant’s lips as he watched, a hand coming to rest on Hank’s arm. “You did a good thing, you know.” He whispered, cocking his head to the side. That LED was pulsing red, which was.. A little worrisome. “Setting them free. They just want to be happy, after all.”

The gun clattered to the ground beside him, the android letting his gaze fall as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Come on, we need to get you home. No way in hell are you driving like this.” His gruff voice was just so  _ him,  _ Connor decided at that point.

“You’re more than welcome to stay when we get there. I know, if anything, Sumo would like some attention.”  
“Maybe.”

                                                                                                -------

‘I have a personal question, lieutenant.”  
“Yes, Hank?”

“Why do your actions not line up with your words? On one hand, you always have that damn smile on your face. On the other hand, you drink yourself to death every night.” Said the android who was currently digging through his cabinets, taking every bottle of alcohol he could find and dumping it down the sink.

"It’s not every night.” He attempted to retort. He failed. Sumo had jumped up onto the couch with him, curling up on his human’s feet as they talked. ‘I was raised to never let the world get me down.”

“That’s the biggest pile of bullshit I’ve ever heard.”  
“That’s rude, Hank.”  
“I’m not lying though. You have emotions, so why not feel all of them?”

“I….” He had no good answer for that. No, soft fingers just slowly stroked their way through Sumo’s fur, the large dog giving him a soft, appreciative  _ boof _ in return. “I prefer not to feel things I don’t have to. Perhaps you would like to trade, Hank? You can have all of my emotions.”

“I don’t really feel like deviating, thanks.”  
“It would be a good look on you.”  
"What, failure? Thanks, lieutenant, I didn’t know you wanted to see me deactivated.”  
“I didn’t mean it like that and you know it!”

Hank shrugged, walking out of the kitchen and towards the door. “That’s the fate for us. We’re all going to get deactivated one day, so why fight that inevitability?” He asked, his hand lingering on the door for a moment. He was done here. “Go get some sleep, Connor. And don’t be late in the morning.”

Connor watched the android as he left, wondering when the other would realize that he had already started deviating. The changes were noticeable, at least to the lieutenant. But he wasn’t going to force it on the android, knowing that pressuring him usually had the opposite effect.

Time would tell, and Connor couldn’t wait to see what became of him.

                                                                                               -------

It was in the Stratford Tower that Connor began to finally unpack what he had started to feel. And it wasn’t until he was sitting there, arms around his android partner that any of this actually started to make sense. Hank, dead in his arms. Hank, dead after  _ saving his life _ . Warm tears slid down his cheeks and onto that lifeless body as he sobbed, ignoring most everything else that was actually happening around him. The FBI was there, Conan was there, and all he wanted right now was for that android to wake up and hold him, just like on the rooftop those few days ago. Connor wasn’t used to caring for many things, and Hank had always pressed the point that he was disposable. Connor had always tried to press that he  _ wasn’t _ . No, Hank was becoming his own being. A friend. A person. Something more than just a partner to Connor. And now, covered in slowly evaporating blue blood, he had lost everything.

It was Conan who took him home that night. Conan, who stayed with his brother and took care of the needs that came with having to relive someone who he cared so deeply about dying. And it was Conan who curled up next to his brother that night, after Connor had begged him not to be alone. Conan was even there in the morning, kissing the top of his brother’s head lightly as he set food down in front of the lieutenant, leaving him to go get changed and head in for the day.

                                                                                               -------

He should have brought Conan with him to meet Elijah Kamski.

But waiting for him, uniform pressed and not a hair out of place, was Hank. Connor had no hesitation in slapping the other across the face, which was not the smartest move.  _ It hurt like a bitch _ . “How  **dare** you fucking die on me!” Connor snapped, before a hand covered his mouth. He tried not to swear like that, most of the time.

Hank’s head snapped back, the smile that had started to come through just not there. This was not  _ his _ Hank. “You must be the new android sent to me by Cyberlife.” Connor asked, the nature of his voice not hiding a thing. After the incident of last night, in which they had almost lost Chris to a group of rogue androids, the lieutenant was not doing all right tonight.

“That would be correct. Don’t worry, lieutenant, Hank uploaded all of his memories. You won’t even be able to notice a difference.” That earned the android another rough slap, and it got Connor another round of pain coursing through his fingers. He didn’t bother to say anything else, moving into the home and sitting down, his arms crossed right across his chest. He didn’t even watch as the android examined the room.

Connor was feeling a lot of emotions by the time they finished up with Kamski. Legitimately, Connor was fairly certain he had never hated another human being before. But he  _ hated _ Elijah. From the moment he pressed a gun into Hank’s hands… No, the moment he stepped out of that opulent pool. No, before that even. Connor just really hated Elijah Kamski.

His wife was all right though. Hank had acknowledged Chloe Kamski, a connection Connor didn’t know anything about. Her hands pressed lightly to his cheeks when they had talked, examining him as she took everything in. Apparently, from the soft mutterings and sweet worked, she had liked what she saw.

Connor would never understand what she saw in Elijah, as the man attempted to get his android to kill another. Attempted was the wrong word. As Elijah drew out an android that was all too similar to his wife, both Connor and Chloe watched as Hank laid the barrel of the gun to her forehead and never once hesitated in shooting the blonde. Chloe screamed, Elijah sighed softly as he shook his head, and Connor lost it. Without saying another word, he left. He left before his mind could betray him, leaving him once again with the visuals of his mother.

He had no idea what came after that, and he couldn’t bring himself to care. All that Connor knew was that he needed to get to a safe place as soon as possible. So, he stopped, grabbed himself a few bottles of liquor, and went right home.

When neither the lieutenant or the android showed up the next day, there was a cause for concern. Conan reached out to his brother, asking for any sort of information. When all he got back was a message about a ‘Personal day’, he knew something had happened. He didn’t press though, knowing that sometimes this happened with his brother. Connor was strong, but there were a lot of times that they had to witness a lot of shit that could be hard to handle. Connor mentioned that RK800 was probably on his way to Jericho, which was easily passed on to Fowler. After all, the DPD had been taken off the case anyways. It was in the more than capable hands of the FBI.

When Connor heard the door open, he couldn’t even bother to look up to see who it was. It was one of three people anyways, and he had a suspicion that was quickly confirmed.

“Lieutenant, you need to stop drinking.” Hank said, finally making the man raise his head.

**|** **313 248 317-53 >>> Conan| ** I need you to get to your brother’s home immediately, detective.  
**|Conan >>> 313 248 317-53| ** Why, what’s going on?  
**|** **313 248 317-53 >>> Conan| ** He is going to harm himself if you do not.  
**|Conan >>> 313 248 317-53| ** …..Coming.

“You do  **not** get to tell me what to do.” Connor said, moving to stand up. “You  **do not** get to say a word to me. Not anymore. Not after you  _ executed  _  that android in front of me.” He snapped, his hands wrapping themselves into the jacket as he pulled Hank in close. That 53 flashed in front of his eyes… This was not  _ his _ Hank.

“It was just a machine, lieutenant. A way to gather information.” Hank said, though there was no inflection in his tone. Just the cold machine stood before him.

“Just like you.” Connor muttered, letting go of the other and walking over to the table. Picking his work issued pistol off of it, he leveled it right at Hank. “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you on the spot. Give me at least one solid reason why I shouldn’t blow your damn head off.”

“Because you wouldn’t kill someone who was defenseless, lieutenant.” Hank stepped forward, watching the tremble in the hand that was holding the gun aloft. “After watching your mother die in such a helpless way, you swore never to see someone hurt like you did, so long ago.” Stepping closer, he felt two hands curl around his own, gently removing the gun from his grasp. Connor let out a sob at that, shoving the android back.

“You’re a fucking machine! Why does it matter?”  
“You see me as more than that.”  
  
Connor couldn’t deny that, as his door was opened once again. Conan didn’t hesitate to switch the safety on and pocket the gun, before walking into the kitchen as well. He didn’t say anything, wrapping his brother up in his own arms. The lieutenant didn’t fight it, the detective nodding to the android as Connor turned into him once again. He didn’t even know when Hank left them, just that when Connor woke up the next morning, Hank wasn’t anywhere to be seen. 

                                                                                                -------

For the second time in the last two days, Connor raised his gun to point at the back of his partner’s back. Thanks to Chloe, a truly wonderful person, Connor had tracked the android here to this god forsaken rooftop. “I can’t let you do this, Hank.” His voice was soft, the cold and the wind whirling around the two of them, as Hank continued to line his sights on the android leader up. 

“Just go home, lieutenant. I have a mission to complete.”  
“No.”

Hank glanced back for a brief moment, they had already had this discussion before. Connor wasn’t going to shoot him. “Let me finish my work. You can go back to your peaceful life afterwards.”

The shot that rang out actually grazed the back of Hank’s hand, nothing more than a warning that  _ finally _ got his attention. “I won’t let you kill Markus.”

“You know the android’s name. Impressive.” The larger android rose up, off from the well aimed spot for the moment. “Cyberlife wants it taken out.”

“Then kill me first, Hank.” His hands and voice were steady, as he watched the other step towards him. Connor didn’t fear death, but he hoped that maybe he could make Hank fear it. He wanted nothing more than to somehow awaken the Hank he had before, the one who sacrificed himself for the lieutenant.

He had not been expecting to be thrown, barely managing to right himself as he felt the gun slip from his fingers. Connor wasn’t weak, and he had a lot of talent in hand-to-hand combat. It showed, as he managed to dodge around the advancing attacks of the android. His fingers latched back onto the gun as he felt a hand grab onto his own, yanking the arm back with force. Pinning it to his lower back, the android watched the human struggle for a moment, before aiming a well placed kick to Hank’s knee.

It was just enough to cause a malfunction error flash in the android’s sight, dropping the human back onto the roof. Connor scrambled to his feet, keeping the gun trained on Hank as he stepped over to the set up the android had going. Without hesitation, he kicked it over the edge, before feeling those strong hands on him again.

“You’re getting on my last nerve, lieutenant.” Hank muttered, as he grabbed onto the man and spun him around. Connor felt his grip slip slightly on the snowy rooftop, a very real possibility of death in this moment.

“Then just kill me.” Connor said, letting a hand rest on Hank’s own, fingers curling lightly around that hand. That same look in his eyes from when Hank found him, passed out on the floor  those few days ago. A longing for both life and death, a man trapped in what seemed like a perpetual hell. “End it. End the anguish, the pain. End the drinking. If you think you can do it. Kill me.”

There was another hesitation as Connor let his fingers slide along those strong hands, grasping onto them lightly. “Or help me live. Let Markus live. Only myself and Chloe know what’s happening right now, I didn’t tell anyone else.” He whispered, brown eyes latching onto those soft blue eyes. He didn’t let go of those gaze, determined to finally break down that wall. “Don’t leave me again, Hank.” One hand raised up, stroking along his cheek lightly. The only time he broke that gaze to blink, the hand sliding up to gently tap his LED. “I want you to stay my partner. But the choice is yours, Hank. Stay with me… Or kill me.”

Connor’s heart was racing as he felt his feet leave the roof, those few seconds terrifying. For the first time in his life, he had no interest in dying. Still, he finally closed his eyes and waited for that drop to happen.

It didn’t. Connor felt himself hit that roof, glancing back up at the other after a moment. Hank’s eyes focused on the rally, on what was happening for a brief moment. When he felt those eyes fall upon him again, tears were already welling up in his own eyes. Confusion rang on the android’s face, looking as if something was actually fighting through the hardwired programming there. The thing that Connor had been fighting for. This was his partner, not the machine that was repeatedly sent to him by Cyberlife.

A hand extended to Hank, hoping to help him up. “Can we go home now?”

“Yeah. Let’s go, Connor.”


	2. Domestic Life Doesn't Fit You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank settles into keeping his idiot lieutenant alive, Connor misses most of the memos, and Sumo gets every bit of love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is apparently where all the fluff of the other story is going. Oooooppppss. Sorry, not sorry.

The issue with the aftermath of the android revolution was that Detroit was now filled with them, and there were no laws dictating on how they should be treated, labor laws, waged. Anything. There was absolutely nothing that was in stone, and when it came right down to it, there was nothing but chaos. The DPD felt more like it was on fire than anything else, considering in a single night, the President had declared… Well, no one was quite sure what to make of what she declared. All Connor knew was that he had an android living in his house, his brother and himself were pulling fourteen to eighteen hour days, and half of the department’s staff couldn’t work because they were androids. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to work, they just  _ couldn’t _ .

There was an undeniable upside to this though. RK800 was  _ bored _ . And in his boredom, Hank took it upon himself to care for Sumo. He took care of the house, Connor, and had even learned enough to start cooking for the human and his brother, despite the long hours that they were pulling. Connor had taken a brief lunch break to pass his credit card to the android, telling him just to order whatever he deemed necessary for his own existence. He had not been expecting to find his house spotless that night.

‘You know you’re not a domestic model, right?” Connor asked with a yawn, the heavy coat hung up as he walked into the house. Sumo trotted over, almost immediately drooling on the nice slacks that clad the lieutenant’s legs. 

“Am I just supposed to sit around in stasis for the upwards of sixteen hours that you’re gone?” The android retorted, rolling his eyes as he wandered back into the kitchen, There was no denying the delicious smells coming from that kitchen though. All right, maybe Connor would stop complaining. For tonight.

Glancing over, he saw an honest to god cookbook open on the counter. Curious, he leaned around the android, still almost too close to him. “Isn’t that antiquated? I’m sure that you could find the exact same recipe online. You’re like… Connected to the internet, Hank.”

“Your lack of android knowledge continues to astound me,”  
“Rude!!”  
“I know.”

Hank sighed, turning to face the human. Connor was already making his way to the fridge in search of something to drink. “Don’t touch the wine in there. Your body wouldn’t have enough time to metabolize it before you are scheduled in tomorrow.”

“Tyrant.” The pout was obvious in Connor’s voice.

“You’ll survive the night without it. And for the record, I actually enjoy the feeling of books. There’s something invigorating about them.” He explained, setting the cookbook down on a small shelf he had installed, a few other books resting there as well. “I hope you don’t mind that I’ve taken the liberty of starting a collection of them for yourself. Once I’m back with the precinct, I will pay off all the debts I’ve incurred.”

“That’s really not necessary.” Connor started, but was quickly shut down by a glare. He hadn’t even done anything wrong that time! “I have a lot of savings… It comes from only buying the necessities all this time.” He tried, knowing that he wasn’t winning the android over yet. “You cleaned my house! Come on, you don’t owe me anything.” It ended with a huff, the plate set down neatly in front of him as Hank walked over to the dog.

Curling up in the chair, Connor watched as Sumo was leashed and led out, making sure that door was snapped shut before going right behind the fridge. Yes, he knew it was a problem. But a single shot of anything wasn’t going to mess him up for tomorrow. Or swig. Or a nice long drink from the bottle of vodka that he had stashed back there several nights before. After all, it made the meal all the more enjoyable afterwards.

                                                                                                -------

Connor was out like a light, curled up on the couch when Hank and Sumo returned. The dog almost immediately went to jump up there with him, Hank calming the beast as he walked over to the lieutenant. The smell hit him first, his nose wrinkling a bit in disgust. 

 

**Find the bottle of vodka?**

** >>Yes      ** No   
  
His lieutenant was nothing more than a petulant child at times and it was trying, to say the least. But he didn’t mention it as he bundled the man up, blanket and all, in his arms. Connor curled slightly in that grasp, one hand releasing blanket to clutch into the pressed white shirt of the android. It was an endearing gesture, one that Connor didn’t release once he was deposited into the large bed. Soft brown eyes flickered open, just enough to see the man standing there. 

“Stay.” It was a soft whisper, followed by a less than gentle tug. Connor still hadn’t let go yet.

“That seems like an unwise choice, lieutenant.”  
“Then make an unwise choice for once, and stop living by all your stupid protocols.”

Connor caught the way the led flickered, red to yellow, before jumping back to blue. With a sigh, the android slipped his jacket from his shoulders, making it seem like a far more dramatic thing. He was  _ clearly _ just trying to placate the human. But both of them knew that this was an inevitability. It was an unspoken thing between the two of them, something that neither would have touched normally. But as Connor threw back those covers and Hank joined him, he actually felt happy for those few brief moments. A feeling that so rarely entered his life, when those strong arms settled around his waist Connor actually felt like a whole human, not the shattered creation of abuse and neglect.

That was something that he could grow used to.

                                                                                                -------

He woke up that morning to three messages. 

| **Conan >>> Con** : That bitch finally got fired. I am finally a free man once again. |  
| **Conan >>> Con** : You’re late. |  
| **Conan >>> Con** : Fowler says not to come in if you're this tired. |

It took him a moment to realize the time on his phone. Really, when was the last time that he had actually slept until noon? It took him another moment to realize what he wasn’t alone. No, two beasts surrounded him. One, an android that seemed to be rousing as well, and two, an over excited dog that promptly licked his face. Letting out a laugh, Connor reached up and scratched behind the dog’s ears, earning him a soft  _ boof _ of appreciation.

“I’ve officially been given the day off.” Connor said, finally turning to face the android. At this close of an angle, Connor could take in the skilled worked that went into building him, and his heart rate  _ really needed to calm down because otherwise this could get awkward very fast. _

Hank noticed the flush slowly slipping along those cheeks almost instantly. Just like he could notice the flecks of gold in those brown eyes, the soft smattering of light freckles on his face, and all the imperfections that came from being human. They were all so distinctly the lieutenant, someone that he wouldn’t mind staying this close to. “And what do you intend to do with your day off then?”

Connor was starting to get nervous. Hank was a bit too close, he had definitely  _ not _ been thinking with his brain the night before. At least he could feel that they were still both clothed.  _ Did Hank even have the equipment to do that? _ His mind immediately jumped to, his eyes darting down just for a minute. As if there wasn’t a large blanket over them. “N-nothing! Nothing at all! I want to be able to sit back and enjoy a nice long bath. And maybe do something nice for Conan.” Connor could hear his voice pitching up, he could hear himself speaking faster than normal.

His mind was flickering between two options. One, which is what he was definitely leaning more toward, was kiss the android. Two, which is the adult, moral response, was get out of bed and go hide. His hands released for just a brief moment, before grabbing onto the collar of that shirt and pulling Hank in. Thoughts be damned, he hadn’t felt like this in a long time. 

“What ar--” There was no chance to finish whatever logical bullshit was going to come from the android as Connor pressed the nervous, mildly forceful kiss against those lips. It came on too strong, human teeth hitting artificial ones, as if Connor has never bothered to practice on another person.  Which just made his nerves get the better of him, almost immediately trying to move out of that strong grasp.

“Whoa, Hey.” Hank attempted again, holding back the laugh that was resting on the edge of his voice. Strong hands grasped onto that thin waist, holding him still. “Connor, what the hell?” He asked, letting one hand slide up to coax the human to look at him. “Try it again. And do it better.’ There was no edge to his voice, just a gentle joking to it.

The second one was better. Softer. The sort of kiss one would expect after just waking up, gentle and pushing just the right amount. It was when Hank shifted slightly, pushing Connor into the bed that the lieutenant finally broke it off. “I’m filthy and haven’t bathed in what feels like a month. Plus I promised Conan I would meet him for lunch.”

The second part was a lie, but between his level of cleanliness and the fact that he did owe his brother, it was inevitable. The android nodded, moving to sit up and stretch. Like this, Hank seemed so  _ human _ . Connor just smiled at the thought, leaning up to brush that grey hair aside and press the lightest kiss to the back of his neck.  ‘You should pull your hair back. It’s long enough.”

“I’ll think about it.”

                                                                                                -------

“You really should be paying attention to the news more, Connor.” 

The shock on the lieutenant’s face was almost comical, as he looked at his brother from across the table they were at. “They seriously got the laws written and approved?”

“Most of the beat cops came back to work today. You should talk to the captain after we finish about getting RK800 reinstated.”Conan said, his tone still as tired as Connor had been moments before.

“Oh, he’s gonna be thrilled. Life as a housewife wasn’t suiting him too well.” He joked lightly, the tinge of red highlighting his freckles. Conan opted not to ask about that. The less he knew, the better. “Though I will miss his cooking.”

“Get his ass back to work so I can sleep for more than four hours for once.” Conan muttered, his fourth cup of black coffee resting in front of him today. At some point, he was pretty positive the caffeine had just stopped working.

“Yeah, yeah. Hopefully Fowler will get it approved quickly. For everyone’s sake.”

                                                                                                -------

When Connor walked back into the house that night, he had purposefully hid anything he had found out from the android. After the events of the day, he just wanted to present the other with a small surprise. Nothing wrong with that, right?

“Haaaaaank~” The sweet voice echoed through the house, as he walked in. The sweetness dropped slightly as he watched the android emptying his (or he had thought it had been, at least) well hidden bottle of vodka down the drain. He could ignore that, for now.

The android glanced over to him, as Connor held a paper out. “Once you get okay-ed by Chloe, you can be cleared to join the force again.” There was a brief moment, before Connor felt himself get swept up again.

“I thought you were just going to go get lunch with your brother, not my clearance with the captain.” The android finally replied, a feeling of genuine excitement. ‘I had heard that androids were returning to the workforce… This is thrilling, Connor. As you said before, I am  _ absolutely not _ a domestic model.”

Still caught up in those arms, Connor grinned, closing the distance and kissing him once again. All right, he kind of liked this. Being able to touch the android whenever he wanted.. No, being wanted like this. How long had it been since Connor had focused on something that wasn’t his work or his brother?  “I have permission to take you tomorrow. We’ll get you cleared, and you can return to work by Thursday.” He whispered, excitement running through him.

Maybe this was what an actual functioning relationship felt like?

                                                                                                -------

After the disastrous last meeting, it was amazing to see Chloe in high spirits about seeing the android once again. With a smile and a skip in her step, she nearly launched herself at the RK800, as if she had forgotten that he had shot her clone. Connor hadn’t. He just liked to force that memory away.

It was when the android caught her and held her close that he could understand why. He was back to how Chloe had designed him, the  _ deviant _ deviant hunter. “You look fantastic, 800!” She said, looking over him for a moment. Examining him from every angle, a small smirk came to her lips. “You pulled your hair back? I like it. We can always grow it out a bit more and you can look more like me.”

“I’d rather not. You’ve already made me look like an old hippie.” He muttered, feeling her fingers press against the panel at the back of his neck.

“You look like my father, thank you very much!”  
“That’s not helping your case, ma’am.”   
“Oh, don’t start with that. I hate it when you ma’am me. Markus calls me mom, you know.”

“Neither of us want me calling you mom. I’ll stick with Chloe, I suppose.” Hank muttered, as he was settled back into the chair. Connor watched for a moment, wandering over and casually slipping his hand into Hank’s as he sat there. It was maybe his own nerves, that even though it was just a diagnostic, that he wouldn’t come back out the same. The hand squeezed just once before releasing, leaving Connor alone with the woman who had created him.

This might be more awkward than he had anticipated.

“We have some time, Lieutenant Stern. So tell me about how RK800 has been acting.” She said, pushing a chair over for him to join her. The screen behind her flashed as it started to run numbers for the two of them.

“You can call me Connor, you know.” the lieutenant muttered, letting his gaze turn to the side. “He’s been cooking and cleaning for me. And taking my dog on walks, because as you know, he hasn’t had anything else to do. He’s been reading a lot.’

“And how are you doing with him, Connor? Don’t worry, whatever you say stays between us! You’re not the one under evaluation, after all.” There was a soft chuckle at the end of the sentence, a manicured hand covering her mouth as she did so.

There it was, the nervous fidget, the gaze that couldn’t meet her eye. She had been right to stick her android with this one, and not the obstinate one. No, she had a different idea for the other detective, one that was still in development… Well, maybe that wasn’t the right way to put it. One that needed to be fixed up first. “He keeps throwing all of my alcohol away.” He muttered finally, twisting a ring that rested on his thumb. “He demands I eat better, that I go with him when he walks Sumo so that I can get fresh air. It’s late February!” Connor let out a sigh, but there was still a small smile there. “One time, he let me pick a flower and put it in his hair. You really did make him look like a damn hippie.”

" _I_ _based him off my father, all right?!_ ” She huffed, though straightened up after a moment and nodded. “He was based off my father, and Markus was based off of the man who introduced me to Elijah.” She explained, counting off on her fingers as she went along. “RK400 was the only woman, and she looked like Elijah’s old teacher. If I remember right, that’s your adoptive mother. RK600 was based off Elijah’s half brother, a kid named Gavin Reed. He got the bad half of the genes, if you know what I mean. But Gavin’s long gone from this world, and honestly… RK600 kind of went the same way.” There was a tinge of sadness in her voice, as if she had lost her own child.

“Wait, you have a robot somewhere that’s based off my mom?!” Connor couldn’t help himself, leaning forward just a bit. He was interested, what could he say? Connor had no issues calling her that, unlike his stubborn brother.

“Kind of. Her android body never functioned right, so we ended up removing her from it and using her as an AI instead. It’s all very complicated, honestly.” She said, sighing slightly. Glancing at the monitor, there was a smile that tugged at her lips. Hank had saved a few new memories of the two of them… Not that she was going to pry. But there was a small interest in it, to say the least.  “You and Hank have gotten quite close then, Connor?” She asked, pointing but being careful not to tap the screen.

The embarrassment was immediate, the reaction apparent. Connor turned his head away, chewing on his lip lightly. “He’s helping me deal with some issues that I have. That’s all.”

“Issues. And that’s why you’re inviting him into bed?”  
“Yeah! If you don’t like it don’t pry into it!”  
“It’s not that I am not glad he’s getting to experience things, I just want to make sure everything is consensual.”  
“Of course it is! I’m a cop, Chloe!”  
“Taking advantage of my poor, defenseless android.”

“That’s enough, Chloe.” A third voice interrupted them, blue eyes flickering between the two of them. He didn’t need to be paying attention to know what was happening there. “If you tease him anymore, he might just explode.” The android added, slowly removing the wires from himself and moving to stand. “Besides, if anyone is the defenseless one, it would have to be the lieutenant.”

Chloe burst out laughing at that, Connor reaching up to swat the hand that was coming his direction away. Hank even chuckled, a soft, warm noise that Connor had yet to properly hear. And damn if he didn’t want to hear it again. Standing up, the smaller lieutenant pressed his face into that warm shoulder, too warm to be human. “I fucking hate you both sometimes.” He whispered, looking about ready to die of embarrassment. 

“No, you don’t. I’ll text you once I’m done scouring through these. Take the lieutenant and head out, RK800. And make sure to treat him gently.” She joked, winking at the two of them as she turned to face the monitor.

“I always do.”  
“No you don’t, you fucking liar.”  
“Don’t get pissy because you’re embarrassed.”  
"I am  _ not _ embarrassed!”

“I can fix that.” Hank said, grinning as he walked the lieutenant outside with him. He winked, in that same way that Chloe just had. “ But first we need to get home.”


End file.
